World War II: The Road to War

III. Japan Builds an Empire

Objectives

• Discover the causes and effects of Japan’s growing military power.

• See why the Manchurian Incident was a turning point for Japan’s civilian government.

• Find out about the initial outcome of Japan’s war against China.

• Lean why Japan looked beyond China for future expansion.

A) Setting the Scene

• Japan forced by US to trade by Perry in 1853.

• Became modern to defend itself.• Government went from monarchy to

constitutional monarchy• Beat China in 1894-1895 and Russia in

1904-1905• Gained Korea, and part of Manchuria• Became very powerful in late 1930s.

B) Growing Military Power

• After WWI policy was peace – joined the League of Nations and signed the Kellog-Briand Pact that condemned war

• Economic recession in Japan (1920s) caused many Japanese to resent the new democracy – government also limited the size of the military by accepting the limits of the Washington Conference (1922)

• Radicals began to assassinated leaders hoping for chaos to get the military to take over.

C) The Manchurian Incident

• Japan’s population growing – need more room (living space?)

11) Manchurian Incident: Japan’s army without permission take Manchuria in China.

12) Puppet State: supposedly independent country under the control of a powerful neighbor.

• US and UK did nothing – League of Nations ordered them out of China – Japan left League

• 1932 navy officers assassinated Prime Minister – ends multiparty government – 1936 uprising of junior officers almost topples government – people began to be afraid of the military (583)

• Military gains power.

D) War Against China

• 1937 Japan again attacked China –soon took Beijing and Tianjin.

• 2 enemies in China – Jiang Jieshi (Nationalist) and Mao Zedong (Communist) quit fighting each other and fought the Japanese.

• Japans superior technology forced them both back• “Rape of Nanjing” – Japanese soldiers brutalized

or killed 100,000 civilians 13)Burma Road: Britain supplied Chinese with

weapons along a 700 mile road• 1939 war in China a stalemate

E) Looking Beyond China

14)Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere: Japanese control from Manchuria to Dutch East Indies (Indonesia)

• Needed oil and rubber to finish off China• 1940 – sign the Tripartite Pact – join

Germany and Italy.• Take French Indochina – sign peace with

USSR – ready to take on US

Review

• What were the causes and effects of Japan’s growing military power?

• Why was the Manchurian Incident a turning point for Japan’s civilian government?

• What was the initial outcome of Japan's war against China?

• Why did Japan look beyond China for future expansion?